


The loot of a thousand worlds

by chick_with_wifi



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: AU based on the film Treasure Planet based on the book Treasure Island, F/F, Space!, buried treasure!, pirates!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:37:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11859222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chick_with_wifi/pseuds/chick_with_wifi
Summary: Sameen Shaw finds a treasure map and assembles a crew to follow it, but as if a cryptic map wasn't challenging enough, they encounter their fair share of obstacles along the way.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning for minor character death but it's not particularly graphic.
> 
> This chapter is almost a word-by-word remake of the film, but the next chapters have more original stuff. If you haven't seen Treasure Planet, it's one of the best and most underrated Disney films.

_On the clearest of nights when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargoes of Arcturian sura crystals felt safe and secure. Little did they suspect that they were pursued by pirates._

_And the most feared of all these pirates was the notorious Captain Benjamin Linus._

_Like a Candarian zap-wing overtaking its prey, Linus and his band of renegades swooped in out of nowhere and then, gathering up their spoils, vanished without a trace. Linus’ secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy stowed with riches beyond imagination: the loot of a thousand worlds...Treasure Planet._

The clock chimed, signalling it was time for Sameen Shaw to get to work, and she closed her book with a sigh. The dogeared hardback had been a gift from an old family friend, Harold Finch (who was actually the descendant of Captain Linus and had dedicated many years of his life to the search for this lost treasure) about fifteen years ago and Shaw had read the book so many times that she almost knew it by heart.

Despite what her mom had said, Shaw truly believed the treasure was out there somewhere and she couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if she found it. They could build a bigger, better inn for them to work in and libraries, hospitals, schools - the possibilities were endless.

Shaw looked at the clock again and realised that if she didn't get a move on soon she was going to be late. So she pulled her hair into a ponytail and hopped around the room trying to put on her boots and her jacket at the same time. Due to years of practice she managed to do it without falling over, then she raced downstairs to kitchen of the restaurant of the Aletheia Inn where she lived and worked with her mom.

Her mom was balancing two plates in each hand and about to head out into the restaurant when Shaw entered. “Morning, Mom. What am I doing today?”

“Ah, Sameen. Just the person I need. Would you mind making the soup while I deliver these plates?”

“No problem.” Shaw got a pan and wooden spoon out of the cupboard then set about chopping some vegetables. Then she scraped them into the pan along with some broth and let it simmer.

Her mom returned a few minutes later to ladle the soup into some bowls, which she then took out into the restaurant.

According to the clock, the morning rush was over for the day and Shaw probably had enough time to go out on her solar surfer before she was needed again. She was about to find her mom and ask if that was alright, when she heard the familiar voice of Harold Finch coming from the table nearest the kitchen. She stood by the wall, out of sight of the doorway, and listened.

“I really don't know how you manage it, Darya,” he was saying, his tone a mix of sympathy and admiration. “Trying to run a business while raising Sameen.

“Managing it? l'm at the end of my rope.” Her mom sounded exhausted and it made Shaw’s chest feel tight. “Ever since her father passed I’ve been doing my best but it isn't enough. There's far too much work for two people and I can't afford to hire anyone else. You know how smart Sameen is - she built her first solar surfer when she was eight! But she doesn't have any friends and there just aren't any opportunities for her here.” Her mom sighed. “I want so much more for her than I can give her.”

Shaw turned away from the restaurant and ran up to her bedroom, then opened her window and climbed out onto the roof. She usually sat there when she needed to think or be by herself. Ever since her dad had been killed in a hit-and-run speeder accident a few years back (Shaw had been there too but by some miracle survived with only some bruises), Shaw knew how hard it had been for her mom and even though she did all she could, there just wasn't anything she could do to change their circumstances.

She picked idly at a stray bit of slate on the roof then flicked it onto the ground. As she watched it fall, she noticed something strange in the sky.

At first she thought it was a stormcloud but as it got nearer she realised it was an escape pod from a starliner. And it was hurtling towards the ground in a ball of fire. 

Shaw leapt to her feet and climbed down the building as quickly as she could, just in time to meet the pod as it crashlanded.

She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, then entered the column of smoke and knocked on the window. She wasn't sure if it was possible for anyone to survive that, but she’d be darned if she didn’t check. “Hello? Is anyone in there?”

In answer, a hand appeared on the other side window. That was all the answer Shaw needed, and she wrenched the window open and helped an injured man away from the wreckage. 

He seemed to be injured somewhere on his torso, since he was clutching it with one hand, but his large coat prevented Shaw from being able to see any more than that. 

“He's a-comin’,” the man said in a weak, hoarse voice. “Can you hear him? Those gears and gyros clickin' and whirrin'... like the devil himself!”

“Hit your head there pretty hard, huh?”

“He's after me chest,” the man continued, insistent, as he grabbed Shaw’s arm to make sure she was listening. “That fiendish cyborg and his band of cutthroats. But they'll have to pry it...from old Billy Bones' cold, dead fingers afore l--argh!” He stumbled and cried out in pain. 

“Uh, come on, give me your arm,” Shaw put his arm over her shoulders and all but carried him towards the Aletheia Inn. “Mom's gonna love this,” she said as she knocked on the door.

The door was opened by Shaw’s mom, who gasped and exclaimed, “Sameen Ashraf Shaw!”

“Mom, he’s hurt...bad.” Shaw laid the man down on the floor and knelt next to him while Harold, who was the only other person in the restaurant, raced over to see if he could help but ended up hanging back as he realised he was more likely to be a hindrance than anything else. 

“Me chest,” the injured man gasped, producing a small wooden chest from inside his coat. Then he groaned as he opened the clasp and retrieved a small object wrapped in a black cloth. “He'll be comin' soon. Can't let them find this.”

“Who's coming?” Shaw asked.

He was still trying to unwrap the object but his hands were too weak so Shaw took it off him to reveal a golden ball with an intricate design carved into it, just the right size for Shaw to hold in one hand.

“The cyborg,” he whispered, closing Shaw’s hands around the ball. “Beware the cyborg!” He took one last, shuddering breath then laid his head back and closed his eyes for the final time. 

Shaw bowed her head and sat in silence for a minute, giving him a moment of respect. Her mom and Harold did the same, even though her mom was crying silently. 

Then there was the sound of a small explosion outside and Shaw raced over to the window and peered through a gap in the blinds. Another ship had arrived, filled with ferocious looking people who were marching towards the inn. 

“Quick! We gotta go!” Shaw said, taking her mom’s hand and pulling her up the staircase. 

Harold dodged out of the way as a laser gun blew a hole in the door. “l believe l'm with Sameen on this one!” he cried as he followed them up the stairs. 

The sound of the door being kicked in along with shouting and crashing as the inn was ransacked came from downstairs. “Where is it?” one of them shouted. “Find it!”

Shaw, Darya and Harold ran into the nearest room, which happened to be Shaw’s bedroom overlooking the backyard, and slammed the door behind them.

The only possible route of escape was the window, and thankfully Harold’s carriage and bantha were below them.

“Bear!” Harold called. “Stay there, good boy.”

Shaw opened the window and they all climbed up onto the large window ledge. Her mom looked at Harold like he was insane, and Shaw wasn't too convinced of his sanity either, but she liked their chances jumping out of a window much better than meeting the pirates that were downstairs. 

“Don't worry, Darya,” Harold said. “l'm an expert in the laws of physical science. Now, on the count of three: one…”

Shaw glanced over her shoulder and saw flames beginning to lick the bottom of the door. “Three!” she shouted, grabbing the two of them and leaping down to the carriage.

“Go, Bear, go!” Harold took hold of the reins and urged Bear on as they made their escape.

Only Darya looked back as the inn which had been their lifeblood for so long was turned to ashes.

-

Harold set the phone back in its cradle and knelt by the chair that Darya was sitting in, looking as though she had just lost everything she had ever known. “I just spoke with the constabulary, those blaggard pirates have fled without a trace. I’m sorry Darya; l'm afraid the Aletheia Inn has burned to the ground.”

Darya didn't respond, just ran a hand through her hair tiredly.

“Ahem. Well, certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere. Those markings baffle me unlike anything I've ever encountered, even with all my studies of - hey!”

Shaw had been standing in the corner playing with the golden ball, tapping and twisting it this way and that, when suddenly it whirred and projected a 3 dimensional map into the middle of the room. 

Harold gasped. “Why, it's a map! This is us, the planet Montressor.” He pointed eagerly. “The Coral Galaxy! That's the Cygnus Cross, and that's the Kerian Abyss. But what's this?”

At the very center was a planet that strongly resembled the golden map.

“Treasure Planet,” breathed Shaw. “That's Treasure Planet.”

“Linus’ trove? The loot of a thousand worlds? Do you know what this means?”

“lt means that all that treasure is only a boat ride away,” Shaw said.

“Whoever brings it back would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers!”

Shaw pressed a button on the ball and the map vanished. Then she turned to her mother. “Mom, this is it. This is the answer to all our problems!”

“Sameen, you can't be serious,” Darya said.

“Don't you remember all those stories?”

“That's all they were--stories!”

“But with that treasure we would be able to rebuild the Aletheia Inn a hundred times over.

“Well, this is--it's just--oh, my. Harold, would you please explain how ridiculous this is?”

“lt is totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone,” Harold said.

“Now at last we hear some sense!” Darya threw her hands into the air.

“Which is why I’m going with you.”

“Harold!”

“l'll use my savings to finance the expedition. l'll commission a ship, hire a captain and a crew.”

“And I don't have anything to pack since our house burned down,” Shaw added.

“OK! You're both grounded!” Darya said, then facepalmed and collapsed into a chair.

“Darya, all my life I’ve been searching for this treasure but after the accident I thought I would never find it. Now we finally have a clue.”

“And this is my chance to make things right,” Shaw said. “We can finally get our lives back on track.”

“Darya, if l may?” Harold said. When she didn't object he continued, “You said yourself you’ve tried everything. There are much worse remedies than a few character-building months in space.”

Gently, Darya cupped Shaw’s cheek in her hand and for once Shaw didn't bat her away. “Sameen, I don't want to lose you.”

“Mom, you won't. I’ll make you proud.” Her voice held confidence and bravery enough for the both of them.

“Well. uh. ahem.” Harold coughed. “There we are then. I’ll begin the preparations at once.”

-

“Second berth on your right,” the android told them. “You can't miss it.”

“Thanks,” Shaw said.

As they walked away, a few people gave Harold strange looks. He shook his head. “lt's the suit, isn't it? l should never have listened to those two pushy salesmen. This one said it fit, that one said it was my color. I didn't know what to do, I just got so flustered.”

Sure enough, he was wearing a large, clunky yellow spacesuit that sounded to Shaw like it needed a good oiling. And the visor clearly wasn't large enough, considering Harold had almost managed to walk right into their ship. 

“Oh, Sameen! This is our ship! The R.L.S. Bishop.”

They walked up the gangplank while Shaw craned her neck, trying to see everything at once. This was the adventure of a lifetime and she didn't want to miss a moment of it.

The deck was large and made of polished wood, with the steering wheel at one end, rigging and the crow's nest at the other. Various crew members were going about their business and not paying them much attention. 

Harold approached a tall man who was standing with his arms folded and surveying the deck, wearing a tricorn hat and a red jacket with golden lapels. “Good morning, Captain,” Harold said. “Everything shipshape?”

The man smiled, as though he found something amusing. “Shipshape it is, sir, but l'm not the captain.” He gestured towards the mast below the sail. “The captain’s aloft.”

A slender woman with dark hair wearing a long, navy blue coat swung down from the mast on a piece of rigging and landed in front of them. Shaw’s jaw dropped open but she managed to close it again before anyone noticed. 

“Mr Reese, l've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual it's… spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?”

Mr Reese tipped his hat to her. “You flatter me, Captain.”

Then she turned to Harold and Shaw, holding out her hand to shake. “You must be Harold Finch, I’m a huge fan of your work. It's so nice to finally meet you, you can call me Root.”

After shaking his hand, she looked critically at his spacesuit. “lf l may, Harry, this works so much better when it's right way up and plugged in -” she turned the lifevest control panel 180 degrees and connected the plug to the rest of the suit “- Lovely, there you go.”

She continued, “I’m the captain. Late of a few run-ins with the Protean armada. Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars.

“You've met my first officer, Mr Reese. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave, and true.”

“Please, Captain,” Reese said.

“Oh, shut up, John. You know l don't mean a word of it.”

Then she shook Shaw’s hand. “You must be Sameen Shaw, glad to have you on the ship.” She lowered her voice. “We're going to have so much fun together.”

Harold cleared his throat. “Ahem, excuse me, I hate to interrupt but Sameen, you see, is the one who found the treas-”

“Harold, please,” Root snapped, all traces of her former politeness gone. “I’d like a word with both of you in my stateroom.”

Harold looked helplessly at Shaw, who just shrugged.

Then they followed Root into her cabin and she bolted the door behind them.

Reese stood at the back of the room with his arms folded, leaving Shaw and Harold standing unsure of what to do.

Root, facing them, leaned against the door and said, “Harold, to muse and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic - and I mean that in a very caring way.”

“lmbecilic, did you say? Foolishness, l've-”

“May I see the map, please?”

Shaw tossed the golden ball to Root who swiftly caught it, then turned it over in her hands and whispered, “Fascinating.” Then she locked it in a chest in her cabinet. “This must be kept under lock and key when not in use. And, Harold, again with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer.”

“Captain, l assure you l-” Harold protested. 

Root sat down at her desk. “Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible. I don't much care for this crew you hired, so if we want to find the treasure we're going to have to be very careful. These people are...how did I describe them, John? I said something rather good this morning before coffee.”

“‘A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots’,” John said.

Root gave Harold a look. “There you go, poetry.”

“Now see here-” Harold began. 

“Harry, I'd love to chat - tea, cake, the whole shebang - but I have a ship to launch and you've got your outfit to buff up.” On her way out of the room, Root tapped the lifevest control panel on his spacesuit.

As soon as Root had left, Shaw sniggered. When Harold gave her a 'seriously?' look, she responded, "What? You do look ridiculous in that thing."


	2. 2

Root and John were standing on deck, while Harold peered over the edge and ogled at all the other ships that were docked at the port.

The RLS Bishop was due to launch in just a few minutes, and Root had suggested that Sameen might want to get something to eat from the kitchen. So that’s what she was doing.

She descended the staircase into a small cabin lit only by a fire stove in one corner and filled with steam that was emanating from the cooking pot. Through the haze Sameen could see the outline of a man who was cutting vegetables on a chopping board.

“Hello?” she asked.

The man turned around and Sameen got a slightly better look at him. He was tall and well built, wearing an old apron and loose work clothing. “Hello there,” he said in an accent Sameen couldn’t place. “Fine and distinguished crew member gracing my humble galley, had I known I’d have tucked in me shirt!”

He stepped forward to shake Sameen’s hand, and as the fog cleared from around him she was able to see that one of his arms was made entirely of metal, as were his eye and ear on the same side. “A cyborg,” she whispered, unable to help herself.

Her home planet Montressor was diverse and filled with people from all walks of life, which was Sameen’s favourite thing about it, but she had never met a cyborg before. She’d known they existed, of course, but never expected to meet one face to face.

That accounted for at least half of her surprise, the other half being that just the previous day Billy Bones’ dying action was to warn her about the cyborg searching for the treasure map that she was now in possession of. There was no guarantee this was the same cyborg, there must have been hundereds of them roaming the galaxy, but it was one heck of a coincidence that put Sameen on edge immediately.

Her whisper hadn’t been at all subtle, as her new acquaintance looked slightly hurt as he said, “Aw, now, don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware. These gears have been tough getting used to but they do come in mighty handy from time to time.” He demonstrated a knife attachment hidden inside his metal arm that was able to swap places with the hand, then sliced a carrot with it.

Then switched back to the metal hand and shook Sameen’s hand with his real one. “I’m Silver. John Silver.”

“Sameen Shaw. The captain said you could give me something to eat if I came down here,” Sameen said carefully.

“Well, who be a humble cyborg to argue with a captain?” he asked good-naturedly before quickly fixing Sameen a small meal, which she sat on the counter to eat. While she was doing so, she examined the apple on her plate. “You know, these apples are kind of like the ones back home...on Montressor.” She studied his face for a reaction best she could without giving herself away. “You ever been there?”

Silver looked thoughtful, “l can't say l have.”

“Come to think of it, just before l left,” Shaw continued. “l met this old guy who was, um, he was kind of looking for a cyborg buddy of his.

“ls that so?” Silver asked while he continued to chop vegetables. “Yeah. What was his name? Oh yeah: Bones. Billy Bones.”

“Bones? T'ain't ringin' any bells. Must have been a different cyborg. There's a slew of cyborgs roamin' this port. Now, off with you, go and watch the launch.”

Silver shoo’d Shaw out of his cabin, and she got onto the deck just before they set off. To get a better view, she climbed halfway up the rigging and held on tightly.

Root was standing next to John and Harold, and waiting as the crew member in the crow’s nest called down, “We're all clear, Captain!”

Then Root looked to John. “Well, big lug. Are we ready to raise this creaking tub?”

John smiled. “My pleasure, Captain.” He shouted to the crew, “All hands to stations! Loose all solar sails!”

Root called over to the crew member at the wheel, South by southwest, Mr Fusco, heading 2-1-0-0.”

“Aye, Captain. 2-1-0-0,” he called back, turning the wheel. 

“Full speed, John, if you please.”

“Take her away!”

The engines revved and the ship slowly rose until it was in the air. Root looked at Harold with a slightly amused expression. “Brace yourself, Harry.”

He grabbed onto the side of the ship just in time, and narrowly avoided being thrown clean across the deck, while Root and John didn’t even flinch. 

A few minutes later, Silver emerged onto the deck and took his hat off, bowing at Root. “Ah. 'tis a grand day for sailing, Captain. And look at you, you're as trim and as bonny as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint.”

Root narrowed her eyes at him. “You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies, Silver.”

“You cut me to the quick, Captain. l speaks nothing but me heart at all times.”

Root shook her head and turned away from Silver, at such an angle that he couldn’t see her roll her eyes but Shaw could. “Always a pleasure talking to you, Silver, but I have a ship to run. Why don’t you return to your cave?”

“Of course, Captain.” He went back below deck, while Root returned to her cabin.

Shaw was left by herself with only a few other crew members milling about on deck. She decided to investigate how the solar sails worked, but was halfway towards the mast when she bumped into a tall man.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, trying to sidestep around him but only succeeding in blocking his route to wherever it was he was going. 

“You should learn to mind your own business,” he hissed angrily, pinning Shaw to the mast with one of his hands wrapped around her throat.

“Why, you got something to hide?” she asked. Shaw didn’t do scared, so this situation was more annoying than anything else. 

“Maybe your ears don't work so well.”

Shaw scrunched up her nose. “Yeah, too bad my nose works just fine.”

“Why, you impudent little--” He produced a knife from his pocket, and Shaw closed her eyes.

But nothing happened, and Shaw heard the knife clatter onto the deck. She opened her eyes and saw Root, who was gripping one of his arms tight enough to make him drop the knife and was holding an apple in her other hand. 

“Mr Lambert,” she said casually, examining the piece fruit in her hand. “You ever see what happens to an apple when you...squeeze...really...hard?” To demonstrate, she crushed the apple in her hand so that the juice squirted out of it and it turned to mush, and if Lambert’s facial expression was anything to go by she was doing something similar to his arm.

Then Root dropped the remains of the apple onto the floor but kept tight hold of his arm. “If I ever see you so much as look at Sameen again, you will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage until I deposit your sorry self onto the nearest deserted planet, do I make myself clear?”

“Transparently,” Lambert said, stepping away from Shaw but his eyes were still burning with anger.

“Sameen,” Root said. “I need your help with something in my cabin. Follow me.”

Shaw followed Root up the stairs into her cabin and she locked the door behind them, then sat at her desk and motioned for Shaw to sit opposite her.

“I’m afraid it seems you have gotten on the wrong side of Mr Lambert,” Root said. “Any idea how that might have happened?”

Shaw shrugged. “I just got in his way and he - well, you saw what he did.”

“I did.” Root hummed. “Just try to be a little more careful next time.” She smiled at Shaw who, against her better judgement, ended up smiling back.

-

Below deck there was a meeting of sorts happening in the galley.

Silver had gathered the majority of the crew together and was speaking quietly but seriously. “  
So, we're all here, then. Now, if you pardon my plain speaking, gentlemen...ARE YOU ALL STARK RAVING TOTALLY BLINKING DAFT?”

The crewmates all winced.

“After all me finagling getting us hired as an upstanding crew you want to blow the whole mutiny before it's time?”

“The girl was sniffing about,” Lambert said.

Silver glared at him. “Just stick to the plan, you bug-brained twit.”

The ship suddenly lurched to one side, making Silver lose his balance as he stumbled into the wall. “What the devil?”

Meanwhile, on deck Root and Shaw ran out of the captain’s cabin to see what was happening. The sky was dark and in the distance a growing ball of fire was visible.

“Good heavens,” Root gasped.

“Captain!” Harold shouted up to her, holding a telescope up to the ball of fire and peering through it. “The star Pelusa...it's gone supernova!”

“Evasive action, Mr Fusco!” Root yelled as she raced down the steps to join the rest of her crew.

“Aye-aye, Captain.” He began trying to manoeuvre them away from the star, but it was near impossible considering it was growing quickly and they were headed straight for it.

“All hands, fasten your lifelines!” Root ordered. “Mr Reese, secure those sails!”

“Secure all sails!” John repeated loudly. “Reef them down, men!”

The sky was ablaze and small balls of fire were ripping through the sails, leaving holes with singed edges.

Root and Shaw tied their lifelines around themselves while the rest of the crew winched the sails up and secured them.

“Captain, the star!” Harold called from the edge of the deck. “lt's devolving into a black hole!”

Sure enough, the star had become an orange swirl with a black hole in the middle and a strong current that was attracting the RLS Bishop towards it.

“We're being pulled in!” Shaw gasped.

Behind them, Fusco tried as hard as he could to keep control of the ship’s wheel but it was too strong and threw him backwards, then continued to turn left, steering them into the black hole.

Root ran up the stairs and grabbed hold of the wheel, “Oh no you don’t.” She managed to wrest control over it and keep it steady, directing them to just above the black hole rather than directly into the centre.

Large waves flowed out of the hole and knocked the ship from side to side. But Root didn’t relinquish hold of the wheel. “Blast these waves! They're deucedly erratic!”

Harold was typing furiously on the ship’s navigator. “No, Captain. They're not erratic at all.There'll be one more in precisely 12.2 seconds, followed by the biggest magilla of them all!”

“Of course!” Root said triumphantly. “Brilliant, Harry! We'll ride that last magilla out of here.”

“All sails secured, Captain!” John called up to her. 

“Good man! Now release them immediately!” 

“Aye, Captain,” John said uncertainly. “Unfurl those sails!”

“What?” a crew member protested.

“But we just finished tying them down,” argued another.

“Make up your blooming minds,” said a third.

“You heard the Captain,” Shaw snapped. “Release the sails!” The crew was so scared of her that they did as they were told.

“Captain, the last wave. Here it comes,” Harold shouted over the din.

Root tightened her grip on the wheel and readjusted her stance. “Hold on to your lifelines, gents! lt's gonna be a bumpy ride!”

The ship sank further into the black hole for a few tense seconds, before the last wave swelled up and carried them with it. Then all of a sudden they were propelled out of the hole.

Shaw was thrown off her feet and crashed directly into Root, taking her down as well. They slid across the deck in a tangle of limbs before they slammed into one of the masts. The momentum was still carrying the ship, making it impossible for them to stand up. So Root wrapped her arms around Shaw and curled her body in towards the mast, keeping them both secure while the ship lurched and buckled underneath them.

A few seconds later, when it became clear that the danger had been averted and they were back to smooth sailing, Root slowly unfurled from her position and released Shaw.

“That was more fun than I ever want to have again,” Shaw said as she stood up.

Root laughed. “I thought it was very exciting.”

Harold approached them, walking with a slight limp like he always did. “Captain! Oh my goodness that was - that was the most-”

Root cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Actually, Harold, your astronomical advice was most helpful.” 

“Well, uh, uh--thank you. Thank you very much,” Harold said. 

“You as well, Sameen,” Root added, giving Shaw a warm smile. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Shaw was fairly sure she hadn’t done anything particularly useful, but the look Root was giving her made her keep her mouth closed. It might be that she had done something helpful without realising it.

-

The next morning, Shaw was woken up by the sound of her stomach rumbling so she decided to go down to the kitchen to find a snack. She was debating between a sandwich or some soup when she heard footsteps approaching.

She had been specifically told not to go wandering around by herself so, to avoid getting into trouble, she climbed into the barrel of apples. She made it just in time, as Silver and and the crew entered and sat down at the table to begin a discussion.

Shaw could see them through a small gap in the barrel while she tried to keep as silent as she could.

“Look. what we're saying is we're sick of all this waiting,” one was saying. “We are wanting to move.”

“We don't move till we got the treasure in hand,” Silver said, slamming his hand onto the table.

“I say we kill 'em all now,” Lambert said.

“l say what's to say!” Silver shouted. “Disobey my orders again like that stunt you pulled with the girl and so help me, you'll be spending the rest of your days with Davy Jones!” 

“That’s some strong talk,” Lambert said.

“Now, mark me, the lot of ya. l care about one thing, and one thing only: Linus’ trove.”

“Land ho!” Fusco called from the deck.

The crew all stood and started jostling each other out of the way, heading for the door.

Once they had all gone, Shaw got out of the barrel. Her mind was whirring. Were the crew planning a mutiny? Was Root in on it?

“Where the devil's me glass?” Silver’s voice floated down and Shaw saw his telescope out on the table. She didn’t have time to move before Silver descended the staircase and saw her. 

“Playing games, are we?” he asked. It was clear from his face that he knew she’d been spying on him.

“Yeah. Yeah, we're playing games,” Shaw said.

“Oh, l see. Well, l was never much good at games. Always hated to lose.” As he was talking he walked towards Shaw, making her back up until she came into contact with the work surface. 

Shaw fumbled behind herself until her hand closed around the handle of a knife.

“Me, too!” She plunged her knife into his thigh and made a run for it, not stopping until she made it into Root’s cabin. She figured she’d just have to hope Root wasn’t in on it, considering her cabin was likely the safest place on board. 

Silver limped out of the kitchen, clutching his leg. He scanned the deck with his bionic eye, but Shaw was nowhere to be found. “Oh, blast it all.” He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Change in plan, lads. We move now!” The crew all abandoned their posts and began producing weapons that had been concealed on their persons. “Strike our colours, Mr Virgil!”

“With pleasure, Captain.” Virgil took down the existing RLS flag and hoisted a different flag.

The fabled skull and crossbones waved in the breeze while the crew cheered.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the fact that this chapter seems a bit rushed, I really wanted to get it finished before I go back to college tomorow. I feel like my description doesn't quite to the end scenes justice, but the entire film is on YouTube if you want to see how everything actually looks.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day. Don't forget to leave a comment :)

“Pirates on my ship?” Root said angrily, loading a pistol she had produced from one of her cupboards. “l'll see they all hang.” She placed the pistol in her belt then tossed another one to Harold. “Harold, familiar with these?”

He caught it clumsily and accidentally fired it, annihilating a wooden world globe that was in the corner of the cabin. “Oh, l've seen- well, l've read- uh, no. No, I’m not.”

“Nevermind, we don't have time for that. Harry, give Shaw your gun and Shaw, guard this with your life.” She handed Shaw the treasure map, who zipped it securely into her pocket.

“I don't know how to use one either,” Shaw protested, trying to give the gun back to Root.

“Then learn,” Root said, pushing the gun towards Shaw. “John, I trust your armed?” 

By way of answer, he showed her his gun. 

From the other side of the door, they could hear Silver say, “Oh, you're taking all day about it.” Followed by a click and a blast, then the door was reduced to shards.

Root wasted no time, blasting a hole in the floor and jumping down it, pulling Shaw, John and Harold behind her.

“Stop them!” Silver yelled at one of his minions. 

“To the longboats, quickly!” Root instructed as they raced down a corridor. The sound of the pirates pursuing them got progressively louder. 

They reached the area where the longboats were docked and Root shut the door behind them then used her laser gun to solder the lock closed. Then she pulled the lever to open the hatch before jumping into the nearest longboat with the others. 

But one of the pirates, presumably Silver, was welding a hole in the door. He then kicked it in, revealing Silver and two other pirates

“Chew on this, you pus-filled boils!” Root said angrily, firing at them.

Shaw took aim and pulled the trigger. Her laser beam hit a large piece of machinery hanging from the ceiling, knocking it down and causing it to fall out of the open hatch, take part of the ship and two pirates with it.

“Did you actually aim for that?” Root asked, something akin to impressed.

“You know, actually, l did,” Shaw replied. 

John fired at Silver, but only managed to hit his metal arm. Harold was doing his best to hide at the bottom of the longboat and avoid the fire.

Silver staggered towards the lever and pulled it up, then the hatch began to close. They weren't going to make it. 

“Oh, blast it,” Root muttered. “Sameen, when l say 'now’ shoot out the forward cable. l'll take this one.” She indicated to the other cable. When Shaw nodded, she started typing on the computer attached to the mast. “Parameters met. Hydraulics engaged. Now!”

The two women took aim at their cables and fired. The longboat fell immediately, but the back caught on the closing hatch, so they slid forward until the boat was free. Once they were out, Root opened the sail and began using the handle to steer.

Back on the ship, one of Silver’s men shouldered a laser canon and pointed it towards the longboat but, just before he fired, Silver shoved him out of the way, saying, “Hold your fire! We'll lose the map!”

But it was too late to stop the shot, and the laser ball was heading towards them.

“Captain!” John shouted. “Laser ball at 12 o'clock!”

Root tried her best to steer them away from it, but it hit the sail which immediately went up in flames. She felt something hit her side and cried out, pressing a hand on her injury. She glanced down and saw blood on her fingers.

Still, she tried to steer the boat best she could but without a sail there wasn't much she could do. They crashlanded a few seconds later, the boat flipping over and landing on top of them. 

John pushed the boat over and helped Harold stand up.

“Oh, my goodness,” Harold said.

Root chuckled. “That wasn’t one of my...gossamer landings.” She tried to stand, but grabbed her side and fell back down. 

“Root!” Shaw said urgently, running over to her and kneeling down to check her for injuries. When she saw Root’s side, she gently pried Root’s hand away and took a closer look.

“Oh, don't fuss,” Root said. “Slight bruising. That's all.”

“Doesn't look like slight bruising,” Shaw said. 

“Do you still have the map?” Root asked.

Shaw nodded. “Here.” She produced the map from her pocket and handed it to Root.

She turned it over in her hand and frowned at it. “Do you have any idea where it might lead?

Shaw shook her head. “Not a clue.”

At the sound of an engine somewhere in the distance, Root looked up and saw the ship launch other longboat which was heading towards them. “We’ve got company. We need a more defensible position.”

“Shaw, would you mind scouting ahead?” John asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Shaw stood up and brushed off her trousers, then checked that she had her gun before heading off into the copse of trees. 

“Be safe!” Root called after her. 

Shaw could just hear John asking Root if she could stand, but she was out of earshot before Root answered.

She entered the forest and looked around for anything resembling tracks or a path, but saw nothing. Until she noticed a rustling in the leaves out of the corner of her eye.

Keeping a hand on her gun, she slowly approached the bush. There wasn’t anything immediately obvious and Shaw was just beginning to think she might have imagined it when an android leapt out of the bushes and almost tackled her to the ground.

“Oh, this is fantastic! A carbon-based life form come to rescue me at last!” the android said, flailing its arms around.

“What?” Shaw said, moving away from the android who had invaded her personal space. “Who the blazes are you?”

The android looked as sheepish as it was possible for an artificial life form to look. “Oh, sorry. It's just l've been marooned for so long. l mean, solitude's fine. Don't get me wrong. But after a hundred years... you go a little nuts!”

“No kidding,” Shaw commented dryly.

“I am, uh, my name is...Thornhill!” It shouted that last part triumphantly. “That’s right, Thornhill. Also I use she/her pronouns, if you were wondering. And you are?”

“Shaw.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shaw.”

“Look, I'm kind of in a hurry, OK?” Shaw said. “l have to find a place to hide, and there's pirates chasing me.”

“Oh, pirates!” Thornhill said, shaking her head. “Don't get me started on pirates! l don't like them. l remember Captain Linus. This guy had such a temper.”

Shaw paused. “Wait, wait, wait. You knew Captain Linus?”

“l think he suffered from mood swings, personally. I'm not a therapist, and anyway - you let me know when I'm rambling.”

Shaw wasn’t paying attention any more. “But that means you gotta know about the treasure?”

“Treasure?” Thornhill asked as if she had never heard of such a thing before. 

“Yeah, Linus’ trove? You know, loot of a thousand worlds.”

“It's--well, it's...it's all a little fuzzy. Wait. l--l r-r-remember. l do. L--treasure! Lots of treasure buried in the centroid--centroid--centroid of the mechanism. And there was this big door opening and closing...and opening and closing...and Captain Linus wanted to make sure...nobody could ever get to his treasure...so I helped him…” Thornhill's circuits began whirring and her wiring began zapping with static. “Aah! Data inaccessible! Reboot!”

Her eyes were flashing red and her arms made jerking movements. Shaw, seeing no other way to bring her back, cuffed her around the head.

“And you are?” Thornhill asked like nothing had happened. 

“Wait! What about the treasure? The...the centroid of the mechanism, or -”

“I'm sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be. l've lost my mind. You haven't found it, have you?”

Shaw looked at her like she was insane, so she turned around to show a panel of exposed circuitry in the back of her head and wires that were not connected to anything. “Uh, my missing piece? My primary memory circuit?”

“Afraid not. But do you know anywhere we can hide?” Shaw asked.

“Of course. You can hide out in my place.”

-

A few minutes later, Thornhill led Shaw and her friends into the cave where she lived. “Uh. pardon the mess, people. You'd think in a hundred years I would've dusted a little more often but, you know…”

John was carrying Root, and helped her sit down against one of the rocks, using her folded up jacket as a pillow.

Harold looked at the walls in fascination. “Look at these markings. They're identical to the ones on the map. l suspect these are the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture.”

“Shaw,” Root said in a pained voice. “Stop anyone who tries to approach.”

Shaw sat next to Root and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her sitting up. “Yes, yes. Now listen to me, stop giving orders for a few milliseconds and lie still.”

“Very forceful, Sameen. Go on. Say something else.”

“I think not,” Shaw replied. “You need to rest.”

“Shaw!” Harold called from the mouth of the cave. “Would you mind taking a look at this?”

“I’ll be right back,” Shaw said to Root. Then she raced over to where Harold was pointing at something on the ground, and was joined by Thornhill.

“These markings go the whole way around the cave, but I have no idea what they mean,” he said. “I think we ought to take a closer look.”

They followed the markings as far as they went, which was to the edge of the trees. “What do we do now?” Shaw asked.

“Open the map,” Root said. Shaw and Harold turned towards her. She was standing just behind them with one arm across her abdomen, holding her injured side.

“Root, you should be resting,” Shaw protested.

“I’m fine, honestly. Just open the map.”

Shaw pressed the buttons on the map and it opened, just like before, but instead of a map of the galaxy it produced a green beam of light that led them away from the cave.

“Let’s follow it,” Root said. “John is trying to repair the longboat so we have a way out of here. Considering the pirates don’t have the map, I don’t suppose they will be able to figure out where to go next. The treasure is ours. Ready to roll?”

“Never been more ready in my life,” Shaw said. They followed the beam of light until it came to a stop just before the edge of a cliff.

Below the beam was a spherical indentation in the ground, again with the same markings. Shaw knelt down and placed the ball into the dent.

The beam of light vanished, and instead a smaller version of the map appeared above the site. And behind it was a large triangle-shaped doorway with a constellation visible in the sky on the other side. 

“The Lagoon Nebula?” Harold gasped. “But that's halfway across the galaxy.”

Shaw looked pensive. “A big door opening and closing. Let's see.” She looked closer at the map, pointing out different planets. “Kinapis. Montressor spaceport. So that's how Linus did it. He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure.”

“But where'd he stash it all?” Root asked. 

“It's buried in the...the centroid of the mechanism. What if the whole planet is the mechanism...and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet? So we just need to open the right door.”

She reached into the centre of the map and touched the planet covered with the familiar markings. The doors closed, and reopened again a second later to show a room filled with treasure like none of them had ever seen.

“The loot of a thousand worlds,” Shaw breathed.

They stepped through the portal and into the treasure trove. 

“This is all seeming very familiar. I can't remember why,” Thornhill said.

Everyone else ignored her and began filling bags with as much treasure as they could carry.

“A lifetime of searching. And at long last… l can touch it,” Harold said, cupping some jewels in his hands. “Every last second was worth it.”

“Do you know what's strange?” Thornhill continued. “I can't tell you how frustrating this is, Shaw.There's something just nagging at the back of my mind.”

Sitting atop the pile of treasure at the far end of the room was an old pirate ship. Shaw and Thornhill walked over to it and climbed onto the boat.

There was a skeleton wearing a pirate hat sitting on a large throne with jewels piled at his feet.

“Captain Linus,” Shaw whispered.

“In the flesh!” Thornhill said. “Well, sort of, except for skin, organs or anything that resembles flesh.”

Shaw left her rambling away and approached the skeleton, which appeared to have something in his hand. She attempted to pry the fingers away, but ended up breaking them.Then she retrieved the item and discovered that it was a piece of circuitry.

“And yet it's so odd. you know? I remember there was something horrible Flint didn't want  
anyone else to know but I just can't remember what it was. Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!”

“Thornhill,” Shaw said. “l think I just found your mind. Hold still.”

She clicked the memory chip back into place and the wires connected to it instantly. Thornhill made an excited beep. “It's all flooding back! All my memories! Right up until Flint pulled my memory circuits so I could never tell anybody about his booby trap!”

As soon as the words were out, she realised what she had said. “Oh my. Speaking of which,  
Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure so he rigged this whole planet to blow higher than a Kalepsian kite!”

The planet shuddered beneath them and cracks began opening, sucking the treasure into them. It looked like a giant, golden avalanche. 

“We need to go,” Shaw said, "I think I can get this ship working again.”

She lay on her back and slipped under the control panel, sparking two wires together until the power switched on. It was basically like a big solar surfer, not too difficult to work.

Then she stood back up and took hold of the wheel. “Thornhill, we are so outta here! Let's go get Root and Harold.”

But the sound of a gun being cocked stopped her in her tracks. She turned her head and saw Root standing behind her with a gun aimed at her head. 

“Stop right there,” Root said. “And step away from the wheel. Thornhill, you go and save Harry.”

“Root, what are you - we need to go, the planet is going to explode.”

“The treasure is mine. Do you have any idea how much I gave up to find it?” She waved her free hand around for emphasis. “I lost everything. I’m not losing this too.”

Suddenly, a laser beam sliced through the ship, cutting it clean in half. Shaw was thrown off the ship and landed on the ground, but it was at an angle so she slid off it but managed to grab onto the edge with four fingers to stop herself from falling into the fire below.

Root glanced down at the ship filled with treasure, with only her on it. She could leave now and achieve her ultimate goal. Then she looked down at Shaw, who was only holding onto the edge with two fingers.

“Oh, blast me for a fool!” She jumped off the ship and allowed it to be destroyed by the lasers, then knelt by the edge of the ground. “Sameen, take my hand!”

Shaw reached up with her other hand and allowed Root to pull her to safety. Then they ran as fast as they could through the portal.

“Root, you gave up the treasure?” Shaw asked.

“Just a lifelong obsession, Sam. I’ll get over it,” Root said.

John arrived in the newly fixed longboat, which Harold and Thornhill were already in. 

“Hurry, people!” Thornhill said. “We got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds till planet's destruction!”

Root and Shaw climbed into the boat. “Take us out of here, John!” Root said.

“Aye, Captain!” He began flying them away from the portal, which was a giant ball of fire at that point. It didn't take long for the planet's surface to start cracking as well, they didn't have long before the whole thing exploded. 

“Captain,” Harold said urgently from where he was typing on the navigator. “Thrusters at only 30% of capacity. We'll never clear the planet's explosion in time.”

“We gotta turn around,” Shaw said. 

“What?” Root looked at her like she'd lost the plot. 

“There's a portal back there. lt can get us out of here!”

Harold said, “Pardon me, Shaw, but does't that portal open onto a raging inferno?!”

“Yes, but I'm gonna change that,” Shaw said. “I'm gonna open a different door.”

Harold turned to Root, “Captain, really, I don't see how this is possible-”

“Listen to her,” Root demanded. 

“One minute, twenty-nine seconds till planet's destruction!” Thornhill said.

“What do you need, Sam?”

“Just some way to attach this.” She had pried part of the metal off the side of the longboat and was trying to attach a small jet thruster to it.

“All right, stand back.” Root produced a blowtorch from under the console and soldered the two pieces together. “There you go.”

Shaw climbed onto the makeshift hoverboard. “Now, no matter what happens keep the ship heading straight for that portal.”

Root nodded gravely. “I will.”

Shaw started the thruster and jetted off towards the portal.

“Fifty-eight seconds!” Thornhill announced. 

“Well, you heard her,” Root shouted. “Get this blasted heap turned round!”

John began turning the wheel and the ship lurched as it swung around. Shaw was halfway to the portal.

“Twenty-five seconds!”

But at that exact moment, Shaw’s thruster ran out of power. She tried and tried to restart it but it was no use, and she began to fall down one of the cracks. “No! No!”

Root held onto the side of the ship and bit her bottom lip. “Come on, Shaw.”

“Seventeen seconds!”

Shaw looked around desperately for anything that could help her, then an idea hit her. She threw her momentum to the side and scraped the thruster against the wall as she continued to descend. The friction was enough to reignite the thruster, and she sped upwards just as the ship passed over the crack.

“Seven six five four three...two…”

Shaw overtook the ship and pressed the symbol for Montrossor spaceport at the last possible second.

They sailed through the portal into the calm etherium, while the planet exploded in the portal behind them.

“Yeah!” Shaw punched the air as she came to land on the longboat, where she was greeted by a round of applause.

“Just wait until your mother hears about this! Of course, we may downplay the life-threatening parts,” Harold said. “We even got to keep some of the treasure!” He gestured to the bags of treasure that he and Thornhill had managed to save.

Root approached Shaw and pulled her into a hug. “Sameen, that was unforgettable!”

“This has been the adventure of a lifetime,” Shaw agreed. 

Then the pair seemed to realise that they were hugging and awkwardly pulled away from each other.

Shaw looked over at the spaceport that they were approaching. “Well what do you know, that legend was true after all.”


End file.
